Skye Blue
by NickyM96
Summary: Mulder is kidnapped with no chance of escape. Can Scully find him in time?
1. Part I

TITLE: Skye Blue  
  
RATING: PG-13  
  
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance, Angst  
  
SUMMARY: Mulder is kidnapped with no chance of escape. Can Scully find him in time?  
  
Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own therapeutic purposes. They will be returned relatively unharmed to Chris Carter, or whoever wants to borrow them next, when I'm done.  
  
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Skye Blue  
  
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Prologue  
  
It all started the summer of her seventeenth year. It was supposed to be the best time of her life. Instead, it turned out to be the worst. It started off with a bang. She went to parties and hung out with her friends. But by the end, she was very well aware that she had ruined her life for good.  
  
"You're pregnant, Olivia," the doctor at the clinic had told her. She could hardly believe what he was saying. But the changes in her body were proof enough that his words were true.  
  
She tried to hide it from her parents. For a while it worked. They eventually figured it out, though. Even the big sweaters at Christmas time weren't bulky enough to hide her stomach. The baby was big, like her daddy.  
  
Yes, she knew it was a girl. When her parents found out about the baby, they made her start adoption proceedings. Finding out the baby's sex made it easier to pick prospective parents. Her parents helped her find a nice enough couple to take the baby. The only problem was that she didn't want to give her baby away. She wanted to keep it, even though her parents threatened to cut her off from their fortune without a dime.  
  
She wishes now she had taken them up on their offer. She wishes now she hadn't run away. At least she would know her baby would be going to a good home. And she would not be under the distinct impression that her days on the earth were drawing to a quick and hasty end.  
  
Olivia looks up at her captor one last time with her last bit of strength. The labor was long and hard and she has lost a lot of blood. She can feel her life draining away with each drop leaving her body.  
  
"Please. Don't take my baby," she begs. "Let me take her and go."  
  
Although fatigued, she tries again to break free from her shackles without any luck. There's no escape. She can only hope to be rescued or set free.  
  
"You are free to go. Now that I have what I need, I will set you free."  
  
Olivia's eyes widen at the size of the needle approaching her. Something tells her that wherever she's going, she won't be taking her baby with her. All she can do is mutter a quick prayer for the life of her child before the needle sticks her and everything starts to turn gray. Her eyes drift shut and the last thing Olivia Champion ever hears is a voice that follows her to her death.  
  
"Hush now, baby. Don't you worry. I'll take good care of you because I'm your momma now. We just have to go out and find you a daddy."  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Fox Mulder speeds down the highway, the silence in the car only a reminder of his solitude. With Scully away on a retreat for the weekend, he decided to follow up on a missing persons report to pass the time away. He really didn't think he would convince the local police that the girl had been abducted by aliens, but it was the only way he could explain her complete disappearance without a trace.  
  
"Hey Scully," he says into his phone, talking to her answering machine. If he can't get the real thing, then a recording of her voice will have to suffice. "I'm on my way back from checking on that missing girl in Virginia. It turns out, she's a runaway. They tracked down a boyfriend who gave her money to leave town. Get this, she's pregnant with his kid. Or was. The baby was due a few months ago."  
  
He sighs, still feeling the emptiness that always fills him whenever Scully's not around. He misses her so much, and has to catch himself from saying it out loud.  
  
"Anyway, I guess I'll see you in the office on Monday," he says instead, hitting the end button on the phone before he's tempted to admit his true feelings for her. That he loves her. That's he's lost without her. That he can't even get excited about a possible alien abduction case without her by his side. If only she felt the same way about him.  
  
He lets out another sigh as that thought brings him back to earth. He loves her. But he knows she doesn't feel the same way about him. It used to depress him, but he's gotten used to it. It still saddens him a little, though.  
  
He continues on up the road heading for home. He looks down for a moment to find his bag of sunflower seeds. When he looks up again, he has to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the woman standing on the side of the road. He pulls his car in front of her disabled vehicle and gets out, putting a non threatening smile on his face.  
  
"Hi. Do you need some help?"  
  
"Actually, I do," she says shyly, taking a step back when he gets a little too close to her. "The tire just blew out on me. I was trying to call AAA, but I can't get a signal back here."  
  
Mulder just nods and reaches inside his own car for his cell phone. The 'No signal' light flashes at him, letting him know that he won't be able to call out either. He frowns and sticks the useless phone into his pocket before looking at her demolished tire.  
  
"There's no patching this tire," he determines. "If you have a spare, I could put it on for you."  
  
"Unfortunately, that is the spare," she says, giggling nervously. "That's why I was calling AAA - for a tow and a ride into town."  
  
"I can't tow this, but I can take you to the nearest gas station, if you'd like."  
  
"I'm not so sure." She bites her lip in indecision and gives him the once over before giving him a nod, apparently finding him harmless enough. "Okay. Thank you."  
  
She gets her bag from her own car before walking over to his, allowing him to open the passenger side door for her. It's a manner he doesn't get to use on Scully very much, but he does in fact know how to be a gentleman. She smiles her thanks and gets into the car, nervously holding her bag in her lap.  
  
"My name is Fox Mulder," he tells her after getting in on his side. He starts the car and pulls back onto the highway.  
  
"Mary Simpson," the reserved woman says quietly, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Thanks again for the ride, Fox."  
  
"It's no problem," he smiles. "And please, just call me Mulder. I'm not a big fan of my first name."  
  
"Why not? It's so unique and I think it fits you." She blushes again as she realizes what she said. Embarrassed, she drops her eyes to her lap. "I think it beats plain old Mary any day."  
  
"Well, I'm glad you think so," he chuckles, letting the conversation go.  
  
After about twenty minutes, she points out a sign letting him know the gas station is coming up. He fills his tank while she calls for the tow truck. He waits until she's finished on the phone, not wanting to leave her stranded.  
  
"Is the truck on the way?" he asks when she returns to the car, a cup of coffee in each hand. He eagerly accepts her offering and takes a big sip, draining almost half the cup of the hot liquid.  
  
"Not until morning," she frowns. "I'm going to call for a cab to take me home."  
  
"A cab? Way out here?" he asks, looking around at the rural surroundings. "No offense, Mary, but I'm pretty shocked that this gas station is here. I doubt very seriously a cab will come here. How about I take you home?"  
  
"I couldn't ask you to do that," she says, shaking her head. "You've already done so much."  
  
"You're not asking. I'm offering," he smiles. "Get in, Mary. I was taught never to leave a woman stranded. You wouldn't want all those manners I learned growing up to go to waste, would you?"  
  
"I guess not. Thanks again," she says, getting into the car. She points him in the right direction they head towards her house. "This is so nice of you. I just wish I could have offered you something more than coffee."  
  
"No, this is great," he says with a yawn. "Just what I need to keep me awake."  
  
He lets out another yawn, trying to shake off the sudden attack of sleepiness that strikes him. He's finding it harder and harder to stay focused on the road. His eyelids start to feel heavier and heavier. With his slowed reactions, he finally figures out something is wrong and turns to his quiet passenger. The look in her eyes says it all.  
  
"You," he gasps. "What did you do to me?"  
  
"Sleep now, my Fox," she says, leaning over to grab the steering wheel from his numb limbs. "Let Momma take care of you."  
  
He can't help but obey as the darkness fully takes over, rendering him completely unconscious.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Mary Simpson was a woman who wanted what most women want. Love. Marriage. A family. She didn't receive much formal education growing up, being raised with the sole objective of becoming the ideal wife. But Mary found that task increasingly difficult as time went by. Because as she grew up, she became more and more invisible.  
  
She was the middle child of five, the middle daughter of three girls. With her common name and even more common looks, it was very easy to overlook her. She often times would just disappear into the background.  
  
Thomas Joffrey was the first man to ever pay attention to her. She married him as soon as he asked her. She made a good home for him, but couldn't give him what they both really wanted - a child. He wanted a son, a little boy to carry on the Joffrey name. She dreamed of a little girl who would be everything she never was - beautiful and loved. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be for them. She was never able to conceive. Her husband blamed her and soon began to ignore her, much the way she had been ignored her whole life. Unwilling to live like that again, she did the only thing she could do to get his attention. Then afterwards, she buried his body in the back yard to make sure she had his undivided attention for all eternity.  
  
Her second husband was able to give her what Thomas hadn't. Mary's son was born about a year into the marriage. For a short time, life was perfect. Her child was perfect, as was his father's devotion to him. Mary again felt neglected. And her new family soon joined her first in the back yard.  
  
This time, however, Mary feels will be different. The child this time is a girl who will hopefully be as beautiful as the woman she came from. Mary was almost sorry to have to bury the woman out back with the others, but it couldn't be helped. She could have too easily turned the head of Mary's latest acquisition. There's no way she was going to risk the affections of her new mate.  
  
At that moment, as if he heard her thoughts about him, he begins to stir in the bed. She smiles at the way the sheets stop at his waist, leaving his broad chest bare.  
  
"Good morning, Fox. How did you sleep, my love?"  
  
She smiles at the look of confusion on his face. It's always like that at first for the new ones.  
  
"Mary?" he whispers, his voice raspy from disuse. She gave him a pretty strong dose of the sedative. He's been out for almost two days.  
  
"Good. You remember me," she smiles, feeling it's a good sign he still knows her name. She feels as if her family is finally complete. First she got the new baby and now she's found a daddy to add to the picture. She's finally going to get to live her dream. Life will be perfect.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Mulder lifts his head and looks around the room, trying to remember how he got there. He comes up blank with the how and his eyes land on a who. The woman from last night.  
  
"Mary?" he whispers, startled at how raspy his voice sounds. It's almost as if he hasn't used it in days.  
  
"Good. You remember me." She gives him a dreamy smile that kind of scares him. It's almost as if she expects him to be in love with her or something.  
  
Looking around again, he notices he's in a bedroom. But he doubts he would have slept with this woman. He tries to run his hands through his hair, but finds he can't lift his arms. Panic finally sets in.  
  
"Mary? What have you done to me?"  
  
"Don't worry, Love. I just have you tied up until you remember the love we share."  
  
"Mary, I only gave you a ride," he tries to reason with her. "I don't even know you."  
  
"Fox," she giggles. "You're so silly. Of course you know me. How else do you think we ended up with this?"  
  
Mulder almost passes out when Mary lifts a baby from a basket by her feet and places it on his chest.  
  
"I don't understand," he says, shaking his head. "What's going on? What have you done? Whose baby is this, Mary?"  
  
"She's ours, of course." Mary looks at him as if the answer should have been obvious. Apparently in her mind, it is obvious. Mulder realizes he needs to stop thinking rationally because this woman does not live in a rational world. Besides, maybe if he plays along, she'll untie him and he can get away.  
  
"Of course," he smiles, suddenly switching to agree with her. "I guess I'm having some trouble with my memory this morning . . . Sweetheart." He adds the term of endearment through clenched teeth, hoping she won't notice his revulsion.  
  
"I understand, Love. You've been asleep for a long time."  
  
"Maybe you can explain to me what happened," he tries, hoping for a lucid answer from her. "Maybe that will jog my memory. Let's start with the baby. Where did she come from? What's her name?"  
  
"This is little Skye Blue. You said her eyes remind you of the sky on a clear, beautiful day and that her hair reminds you of the sun," Mary smiles, reliving her delusions.  
  
"It's so blond," he notes. "But we both have dark hair, Mary. How is that? She doesn't look like either of us."  
  
"She looks like the fairy that gave her to us, Silly Fox."  
  
Mulder can't stop his mouth from dropping wide open this time. This woman was much farther gone than he originally thought.  
  
"Fa-fairy?"  
  
"But let's not talk about her. She lives in a hole out back now," Mary explains. "And her soul lives in Skye. Isn't she a beautiful baby? Much prettier than I ever was."  
  
"No, Mary. You're beautiful too," he tells her, although it isn't true. Sure, she's not entirely ugly. But she's rather plain. He can see how she'd have issues with her looks. Those issues are probably the source of her delusions. But he doesn't have time to deal with those now. He has to find a way of escaping and taking the baby with him. It's obvious the baby doesn't belong to her. It sounds as if she killed the mother and buried her behind the house. He can't prove it, but coloring of the child and her age point to her belonging to the missing teen he was looking for. It looks like his case is solved, but he may not be able to get away to tell anybody.  
  
He looks up at Mary again and sees that she's crying.  
  
"What's the matter, Mary?"  
  
"You're so sweet," she sighs. "No one has ever told me I'm beautiful. I knew you were special the moment you stopped to pick me up."  
  
"So you do remember that," he exclaims in a bit of an 'aha!' tone. "You were having car trouble and I pulled over to help you. How did I get from there to here?"  
  
"That isn't important, Fox. What's important is that I finally have the family I deserve. Me, you, and little Skye are going to be so happy." She picks the baby up and walks to the door. "I'm going to change her and then come back to help you get washed up. Be a good boy and no one will get hurt."  
  
He flinches at the threat and manages a weak smile as she walks out the door. After she leaves, he tries to break from his bonds again, but finds that his hands are tied securely to the bed and his left foot is chained to the wall. He won't be going anywhere. Not until she's good and ready. Like it or not, he might just have to live this psycho's dream for a while. Long enough to keep himself and the baby safe. He can only hope that someone will notice him missing soon and start to look for him. That might be his only chance at survival.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Scully glances at her watch once more before letting out a big sigh. She's getting the feeling she doesn't like. A feeling that tells her she's been ditched.  
  
"I can't even leave him alone for one lousy weekend," she mutters to herself. She's so annoyed she can barely think straight.  
  
It's been awhile since Mulder has ditched her last. She was starting to think that maybe he'd gotten over it. But apparently not. Apparently, he was just waiting on a chance to make his break.  
  
She was invited by her mother to go on a church retreat over the weekend. She was a bit alarmed to hear the message Mulder left her on her machine about checking into a missing persons case. But he assured her he was on his way home and would be in the office today. So where was he?  
  
The ringing phone breaks her from her thoughts and she has to fumble to answer it.  
  
"Scully."  
  
"Agent Scully, I need to speak with Agent Mulder now."  
  
The booming voice belonging to Assistant Director Skinner wasn't what she was expecting. She was half expecting it to be Mulder calling for her to come bail him out of his latest jam. Now, not only does she have that phone call to anticipate, she also has this one to deal with. She's getting really tired of making excuses to their superiors for Mulder.  
  
"Sir, Mulder's still checking into a lead. Can I have him call you later? Or maybe I can help you with something," she offers.  
  
"A lead? You mean with that girl getting abducted in Virginia?"  
  
"He told you about that?" She's surprised at that. Mulder tends to leave Skinner out of the loop in cases like this. Perhaps he hasn't ditched her after all.  
  
"I did, actually. The missing girl is a daughter of a close family friend. When the police couldn't come up with much, they called me. I asked Agent Mulder to check into while you were away this weekend. Is he not back yet?"  
  
"No, Sir," she says, her previous anger turning into concern. "Do you think something happened to him? He said he'd be back by today. Actually, he left me a message Saturday night that he was on his way home."  
  
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions. You know how Mulder is," he reminds her. "I don't think we should send search and rescue out just yet. I'd hate to be embarrassed because he decided to take a side trip to Graceland or something."  
  
"Sir, but what if something's wrong? I'm not getting a good feeling about this."  
  
"You didn't let me finish, Agent," he snaps.  
  
"Sorry, Sir."  
  
"What I was going to say is that we shouldn't do anything officially. Your partner isn't in the office today, so I think it would be all right for you to take the day off, yourself, if you know what I mean," he hints.  
  
"I think I understand, Sir. And thank you."  
  
"No problem, Agent Scully. Just let me know what you find out, okay? I may not be a part of this unofficial search for Agent Mulder, but I'd still like to know what's going on."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
She hangs up and lets out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She's really worried now. The more she thinks about things, the more worried she gets. Where could Mulder be? Well, she won't find any answers sitting around the office. She gathers her things to leave. Right now, she has no idea where to start looking for him. But she knows some guys who could point her in the right direction. She just hopes the Lone Gunmen will be able to help with this. Otherwise, Mulder could very well be in too much trouble to get out of.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Mulder continues to work on his bindings while Mary's out of the room. But, he doesn't really know what good it'll do him to have his arms free since his leg is still chained to the wall. He may be able to overcome her, though. And maybe if she has the keys to his leg shackles, he'll be able to escape. He'll have to make sure to keep an eye out for any openings.  
  
He stops abruptly when he hears Mary's singing voice coming back towards the room. He hides any evidence of him trying to get loose and pastes a phony smile on his face.  
  
"There he is, Skye Blue. There's Daddy."  
  
She tries to put the baby in his arms, but then realizes he's still tied up.  
  
"Silly me," she giggles. "I've got Daddy all wrapped and trussed like a turkey. Let's untie him."  
  
Mulder gets set, ready to pounce on her at any moment once she unties him. He's disappointed that she doesn't even come near him. The knots in the ropes all converged on the back of the headboard on the other side of the bed. All she had to do was slip one knot free and he was loose. He'll just have to wait for another opportunity.  
  
Mulder only gets the chance to sit up in the bed before she's shoving the baby at him. He takes the child to avoid dropping her and instinctively pulls her close to his chest, away from the crazy lady holding them hostage.  
  
"How sweet," she gushes, smiling at the sight of Mulder with the baby. "I have to get a picture. Let me get my camera."  
  
With one last smile, she's out the room. Mulder hears it lock from the outside, although he doesn't know why she even bothers. He won't be going anywhere while he's chained up.  
  
Mulder and the baby sit quietly for a little while before he starts to wonder where Mary is. They sit a little while longer and the baby starts to fuss, rooting her mouth on his chest.  
  
"Sorry, little one. You won't be getting anything to eat from there," he chuckles lightly, not wanting to scare her with his deep voice. "Let's check out the room and see what's in here."  
  
He carefully holds the baby while rising from the bed, testing his legs for steadiness before attempting a step. He spots a few bottles on the dresser across the room and walks over there to get one, surprised that his chain stretched that far. He makes a quick circuit of the room and discovers that he can reach everywhere, including a small, windowless bathroom in one corner. He makes a mental note to visit there later to relieve himself. But right now, his first priority is to the hungry little bundle in his arms.  
  
"I'm sorry. I know you want this," he says, sitting down in a rocking chair and offering the baby the bottle. He laughs at the way she eagerly accepts it, greedily gobbling at its contents.  
  
While she eats, he has a chance to take a closer look at her. She's small. She can't be more than a few months old, he figures. Like Mary pointed out earlier, her eyes are startling blue, even bluer than Scully's. One look into those eyes and he knows he's gone. He's fallen hard in just that quickly. He knows now he'll do anything in the world to protect that little girl in his arms.  
  
"I'll get you out of here, Skye," he promises, holding the now drowsy baby up to his shoulder and rubbing her little back. "I'll get us both out of here."  
  
He laughs at the delicate burp she lets out before laying her on the bed, pillows surrounding her small body. If he plans in keeping his promise, there's a lot of work to be done. He can't just sit around and wait to be rescued. One day, Mary's going to make some kind of mistake that will mean his freedom. He just has to wait and be prepared for that day to come.  
  
To be continued . . . 


	2. Part II

Chapter 4  
  
By the time she gets to the Lone Gunmen's office, they already have news for her. They usher her in and offer her a seat, each looking at the other like they had something to say.  
  
"Just spit it out, boys. Don't stand there looking like you just killed my puppy," she demands, sensing their news isn't good.  
  
"We were able to get something from his cell phone," Langly starts and she suddenly feels stupid. His cell phone. Why didn't she think to call him?  
  
"I didn't think to call," she shakes her head. "I thought he ditched me. When Skinner suggested he might be in trouble . . ."  
  
"It wouldn't have mattered," Langly interrupts her. "The phone's out of service. But we were able to get trace on the last place the signal was active."  
  
"Where is he? Do you know?"  
  
"We still don't know where he is, but we do know where he was," Frohike says. "The reading came from a small town called Laney, Virginia. It's about three hours from here. We think he may have stopped at a gas station there. The clerk recognized a description of him. Then he positively ID-ed a picture of Mulder we e-mailed him."  
  
"So Mulder was there Saturday night," Scully says, excited to finally have a lead. "Any more recent sightings? We still have no idea what happened to him between Saturday night and now. No one has heard from him."  
  
"That may not be entirely true."  
  
Scully looks at Byers, prompting him to finish his thought. When he avoids her gaze, she looks at the others and sees that they're just as reluctant to look at her.  
  
"Look. There's obviously something going on here. Why don't you just tell me. Byers, what do you mean that it might not be true that no one has heard from Mulder since Saturday night?"  
  
"Because the clerk at the gas station said that the man he saw . . . well, he wasn't exactly . . . alone."  
  
"Meaning?" she asks, her patience running thin.  
  
"He was with a woman. They got gas and coffee and then drove off together."  
  
For a moment, the room is silent enough to hear a pin drop. Scully is so shocked that she finds herself unable to do anything more than open and shut her mouth over and over. Finally, she gets her thoughts together.  
  
"Are you telling me that Mulder ran off with some woman and doesn't have the courtesy to call anyone and let them know he's all right? That he's shacked up with some woman and didn't think anyone would be worried when he didn't show up for work?"  
  
"Those are rhetorical questions, right?" Langly asks, obviously nervous at the anger starting to rise in Scully.  
  
"I don't even care," she huffs, rolling her eyes. "If you hear from Don Juan, tell him . . . you know what? Don't tell him anything. Someone has to be the responsible one and get some work done. I guess it's going to be me."  
  
She storms out of the room, slamming the door behind her when she leaves. Mulder's a big boy. She can't tell him what to do and who to do it with. She can only pretend that it doesn't hurt her to know that this incident lets her know once and for all that he doesn't love her the way that she loves him. She can only pretend that her heart is not breaking at the very thought of him being with someone else. Then, she can only get over it and get on with her life. It won't be easy, but she has to try.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Mulder had been lightly dozing when the baby lets out a sudden cry. He sits up quickly, not quite sure at first what had made the noise. Then he remembers his situation and realizes the noise is coming from the baby.  
  
"What's wrong, huh?" he coos. "You were sleeping so good."  
  
He picks her up and right away his nose catches a sniff at what's more than likely bothering the baby.  
  
"I've never changed a baby before, but we can't have you sitting around in that all day, now can we?"  
  
He realizes that she won't answer him, but he talks to her anyhow, finding it a small comfort. To his surprise, she pulls her fingers from her mouth to give him a slobbery little grin. Not exactly the response he was looking for, but a pleasant reply nonetheless.  
  
Having searched the room thoroughly earlier, he goes to the closet where he knows a dresser containing baby supplies is held. He grabs a diaper and a container of wipes and moves back to the bed.  
  
"Okay, Mulder. You can do this," he encourages himself, almost laughing at how he's actually afraid to look in the diaper. Taking one last deep breath, he just goes for it, pulling at the side tabs securing the diaper to her body.  
  
For a moment, he just stares, unable to believe the mess that came from such a tiny baby. He works quickly to clean her up before the smell overcomes him. He uses almost half the container of wipes, but she's soon cleaned to his satisfaction.  
  
"That wasn't so bad, was it?"  
  
Another baby grin is her response to him. He's so enchanted by her little smiles that he waits too long to replace the diaper. Before he can grab the diaper, a shot of wetness surprises him, shooting up and then arcing down like a water fountain.  
  
"Skye! Couldn't you have done that before I changed you?"  
  
He'd swear on his life that the smile she gives him this time is her way of laughing at him. But he doesn't get sucked in by her charm. He wipes her again and then diapers her, remembering from the diaper he just took off of her which way the tabs are supposed to go.  
  
"Not bad for my first time," he smiles, lifting the baby back into his arms. He takes another good look at her, more amazed than anything at the little person. He's never been that close to a baby and wonders briefly why he never yearned for one. He realizes that holding the child gives him a feeling of completeness he's never felt. No wonder Scully wants one so badly.  
  
"You really are a cute little thing," he says. "Your eyes are so amazing, like Scully's. You would like her, Skye. And she'd love you. Maybe when we get out of here, she can help me take care of you."  
  
That thought saddens him because if he's completely honest with himself, he really doesn't think there's any chance of them getting out of there. He tried to be optimistic, but the more he searches for an escape, the less hope he has of finding one. The only thing he can do now is to try to cope with his present situation the best way he can. Maybe one day he and Skye will escape, but for the time being, all he can do is make sure she has the best life possible while in captivity.  
  
"We'll get out of here one day," he whispers, placing a gentle kiss on her chubby cheek. "But until then, I'll be the best daddy to you that I can. I'll make sure Mary doesn't get her sick little paws on you."  
  
She lets out a contented sigh and nuzzles her cheek into her chest, promptly falling back asleep. Mulder just watches her, falling more in love with the baby than he ever thought possible. His thoughts turn back to Scully and he can't help but picture her holding Skye. He lets those images lull him into a deep sleep, filled with sweet dreams of them as a family.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Scully raises her hands over her head, stretching the tight muscles in her back. She's been stuck doing back to back autopsies for a week straight, having loaned herself to Quantico after Mulder ditched her. She decided to leave him in a lurch, not even calling to explain her absence to him. She'll just let him wonder like he made her wonder. Besides, he didn't exactly call her to see where she was. Obviously he doesn't care.  
  
She finishes with the last autopsy and rushes home, eager to do nothing more than jump into a hot bubble bath to soak away all her problems. She starts the water, then goes out to check her phone messages. There are only two new ones, the first being from her mother and the second from Skinner. She's more disappointed than she wants to admit to herself that Mulder didn't call. Dejected, she hits save and decides to listen to the messages after her bath.  
  
"Message deleted," the mechanical voice booms, stopping her in her tracks. She thought she hit save, but accidentally hit the erase button instead. She lets out a sigh, realizing that now, she'll have to call Skinner to make sure the message wasn't important. He very rarely calls her at home, so it must be urgent.  
  
"Skinner," she hears as he picks up the phone on his end.  
  
"Sir, this is Agent Scully returning your call. I've been at Quantico all week and just got around to checking my messages," she explains, in case he called earlier in the week. She doesn't want him thinking she's blowing him off.  
  
"By any chance were any of those messages from Agent Mulder?"  
  
"Excuse me?" she asks, surprised at the question. More like surprised at the nerve of him to ask the question. "Sir, my personal calls are my . . . "  
  
"I'm not trying to be nosey, Agent," he interrupts. "Just trying to track down that partner of yours. He hasn't reported in all week."  
  
"What?" she practically gasps.  
  
Her Mulder sensor is tingling now. Something isn't quite right with this situation. And if she really thinks about it, something has never been quite right with the situation. She tries to think back to the last time she went more than three days without speaking to Mulder and comes up empty.  
  
"It's been a week since I've heard from him, too. I left early last Friday to go on a retreat with my mother and her church. Agent Mulder left me a message last Saturday evening that he was on his way home from checking on that case you gave him. The guys were able to track him to a gas station and he was reported to have left with a woman. That was the last anyone has seen of him."  
  
She's shaking now, realizing that Mulder is more than likely in some kind of trouble and she's spent the past week doing nothing. It's taking everything in her to try and remain calm while speaking to Skinner. It wouldn't do anyone any good for her to break down in front of her boss. If he thinks she can't handle this, he won't let her be a part of the search.  
  
"And he's never done anything like this?" Skinner clarifies, trying to cover all the bases.  
  
"Sir, I think he's in trouble."  
  
"I think you're right," he agrees. "I'll get a team right on the search."  
  
"I want to be . . . "  
  
"No way, Scully," Skinner cuts in. "You're too close to this and you know it."  
  
"But Sir . . . "  
  
"Agent Scully, you're about two words from a suspension. Don't try me on this. You will not be a part of the official bureau team to find Agent Mulder, is that clear?"  
  
"Yes, Sir," she says meekly.  
  
"But, I have no say in what you do or who you talk to on your own time this weekend," he adds.  
  
She perks up. It sounds as if he's giving her permission to work on this on her own.  
  
"No, Sir, you don't. I think I may go see the Gunmen."  
  
"That's a good idea, Agent Scully. Good luck."  
  
They both hang up, neither of them wasting time on saying good bye. They both have work to do. They have to find Mulder. She just hopes she isn't too late because she'll never forgive herself if anything happens to him.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Mary sighs as the warm water covers her. She sinks into the tub, far enough for the bubbles to tickle her nose.  
  
"This is nice," she sighs again, closing her eyes as the bath begins to relax her. She's so happy now that she's found a father for little Skye Blue. Before, she was the one who had to take care of the baby all by herself. It was starting to stress her to the point of almost needing her medication again. Finding Fox was the best thing that has ever happened to her.  
  
The first few days were kind of rocky. It was obvious to Mary that he never had much experience with infants. But he learned quickly. And now after only one week, Skye adores him. They're on their way to becoming one big happy family. Soon, she may even be able to release him from his shackles.  
  
She won't wait so long like she did with her second husband. The second one hated the shackles. He soon began to hate her because of them. He would ignore her and give all his spare attention to the baby. That's why Mary had to get rid of them both and start over with Fox. She knows he's the one. He talks to her like he's really interested in her. She's never had a man love her like that. It's time now to prove to him how much she loves him.  
  
She gets out of the tub and quickly dries off, dressing herself in her best nightgown. She goes down the hall to the room where she keeps Fox, peeking in first to see if the baby's asleep. She'd hate to wake the baby and ruin the plans she has for him.  
  
"Fox," she calls softly into the room. She sees him dozing on the bed, the baby lying on his chest. She smiles at the sight, wishing she had a camera to take a picture.  
  
She walks over to them, trying to ease the baby from his arms. Right away he seems to sense her, waking up and holding the baby even tighter to his chest.  
  
"Mary," he grumbles in a sexy, sleep laden voice. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Just putting the baby down. You were both asleep."  
  
"That's okay. I got her."  
  
"Oh," Mary sighs, a bit disappointed that this won't be as easy as she expected. But she refuses to give up. "I was thinking we could have some quiet time. It's important for new parents to have some time to themselves. Time without the baby. Too much time with the little one and who knows what can happen. The stress may make us snap. I'd hate for one of us to hurt her."  
  
She watches his eyes grow large and can see that he understands the meaning behind her words. He just nods and gives her the baby. She smiles at him, pleased at how well he seems to be adapting to the situation. He may be the best husband yet.  
  
"Go ahead and get back on the bed. I'm going to put her in the other room so that we can have some privacy."  
  
She smiles again before leaving the room. Everything is falling right into place. She's so close to her happily ever after. There's nothing that will be able to change that.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Mulder tries to keep his fake smile pasted on until after she walks out the door. He hates that she was able to take the baby from him, but there really wasn't anything he could have done. She all but threatened to hurt the child if he didn't comply with her wishes.  
  
All to soon for him, Mary returns. She has a predatory grin on her face that makes his blood run cold. He's seen that look on many women's faces. He knows exactly what she wants from him.  
  
"We're all alone, Fox." She sits next to him on the bed and places her hand on his knee. It takes everything in him not to flinch at her touch. "You've been so patient and loving with me. I think now's the time for me to show you just how much I love you."  
  
She reaches to kiss him, but he's able to turn his head away in time. He rises from the bed and walks as far away from her as his chain will allow.  
  
"Aren't you hungry, Mary?" he asks, trying to put her off any way he can. "Why don't we have dinner. I'm not a complete animal. I like to court a woman first."  
  
"Fox, you're so sweet. You want to have dinner with me?"  
  
"Yes," he nods and smiles, hopefully convincingly. "I think a romantic dinner would be nice."  
  
She rushes towards the door, eager to get dinner for the two of them, when a sound stops her in her tracks. The baby's cry, previously unnoticed through the thick door, is easily heard now that the door is open. She sighs in frustration and goes to get the screaming child.  
  
Mulder's sigh is one of relief. That was a close call. He knows that he won't be able to continue to hold her off. She's going to want to consummate their phony marriage one of these days. He just has to work that much harder now to get out of there before it's too late.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
She arrives at the Lone Gunmen's to find it bustling with activity. Lucky for Mulder, they're always able to get fast results.  
  
"Something came over the scanner not five minutes after you called us," Langly says to her after letting her in. He sits back at his computer and starts typing. Moments later, the printer starts whirring, spitting out a few sheets they hand to her.  
  
"What's this?" she asks, her confusion obvious as she stares at a picture of a car.  
  
"A report of an abandoned vehicle," Byers explains. "Just about anything that could have identified it had been stripped off. The license plate, the registration, even the VIN had been scraped off the window."  
  
"Are you trying to say this is Mulder's car? I mean, it looks like a standard, government issue. But that can't be the only reason you feel this belongs to him."  
  
"Read a little further," Byers says, pointing to a paragraph on the second page. "Most government issues cars don't come with a pile of sunflower seed shells all over the floor."  
  
"Where was this car found?" she gasps, suddenly seeing the connection they're making.  
  
"Abandoned about two miles from that gas station where he was last seen."  
  
"That's just about three hours south of here." She looks down at her watch and makes a few mental calculations. "I can be there by midnight."  
  
"Agent Scully, it's already to late. Are you sure . . . "  
  
"I have to do this, Frohike. I've done nothing this past week to find him. It'll all be my fault if he's somewhere hurt or . . . dead." She practically whispers that last word, almost unable to get it past the lump in her throat. "I need to find him."  
  
"Okay," Frohike nods, turning to look at the other two gunmen. "Then give us about ten minutes. We're going with you."  
  
"You guys really don't have to."  
  
"Yes we do," Byers smiles. "Mulder would kill us if we ever let anything happen to you."  
  
She returns his smile, a bit surprised that the statement doesn't offend her. She knows she's capable of taking care of herself. But she's strangely comforted at the idea of Mulder making sure her back is watched, even if he can't do it himself. She only wishes she had done the same. Some partner she is. She dropped the ball and now he's missing. She can only hope she'll get another chance to proves herself to him. She vows never to let him down again.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
It's nearly midnight when they arrive at the gas station, and Scully catches the attendant as he's getting ready to lock up.  
  
"Sir," she calls out to him, flashing him her badge. "Can I speak with you for a moment. My name is Special Agent Dana Scully and I'm with the FBI. I need to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."  
  
"I'm fixin' to close up, little lady," he grins at her, looking her up and down with his creepy glare. "Can you make this quick?"  
  
She rolls her eyes, wishing for a brief moment that she allowed one of the gunmen to accompany her. But they're all tracking down the abandoned car, leaving her to question the gas station attendant by herself. So much for watching her back.  
  
"Believe me, Sir. I'm going to make this as quick as humanly possible." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a picture of Mulder for the man to look at. "Have you seen this man in here? This would have been a week ago, on Saturday."  
  
"This the same picture those other fellas faxed to me earlier? Like I told them, he was in here. Left with a woman."  
  
"Can you describe her?" Scully asks, grasping at straws.  
  
"Not much to describe," the man shrugs. "Not that good looking. I can't imagine him leaving to go anywhere with her when he got someone like you chasing him."  
  
"Thanks," she grumbles, starting to feel dirty after having this man's eyes all over her. "But let's stick to the subject, please. Can you be a little more specific?"  
  
"Not really. But . . . " He looks around the store for a few seconds, making a mental note of something before continuing. "Yeah, I can probably give you exactly what you're looking for."  
  
Scully eyeballs him, wondering if he's making another lewd comment at her, especially when he motions for her to follow him into the back room. But something tells her he's being sincere. Something tells her he really has something to help.  
  
"What do you have?"  
  
When they get into the room, he points to the back wall half filled with small television screens and shelves of videotapes.  
  
"I have a number of surveillance cameras stationed all around the store. She should be on one of these tapes."  
  
He quickly scans them and pulls out a tape labeled with last week's date on it. He sticks it into a VCR she didn't notice on the desk and presses play, grabbing the remote control to fast forward when needed. Moments later, she spots Mulder on the tape and has the man stop.  
  
"There he is," she almost whispers, somehow feeling this is a solemn moment. "Where's the woman he was with?"  
  
"Right there." The man points to a woman standing at the coffee counter. They watch her pour two cups of coffee and expect her to leave the store. But she surprises them.  
  
"Did you see that?" the man gasps. "She just put something in one of the coffee's and it didn't look like sugar."  
  
"It probably wasn't sugar," Scully agrees. "If I had to take a guess, I'd say she drugged him."  
  
"For what purpose?"  
  
"I wish I knew," Scully sighs. "Listen, I need to borrow this tape."  
  
"Of course. Take your time."  
  
Scully gives the man a small smile before leaving the store with the videotape. She needs to get it to the guys so they can get a screen capture of the woman. Maybe if they post her picture up, someone will recognize her. Maybe if they can find her, they'll find Mulder. With no other clues, it's worth a shot.  
  
To be continued . . . 


	3. Part III

Chapter 7  
  
It's been two weeks since Mulder's last seen Mary. He's sure she's been in from time to time to bring in more baby supplies and to get rid of the dirty diapers, but he's never seen her. He's convinced that she's been drugging his food periodically, to make sure he's asleep whenever she needs to come into the room. But he never knows when that is. So he can't plan an escape attempt around it.  
  
For the most part, he's been happy not to have to see the woman. He's been able to spend a lot of time getting to know and love Skye even more than he did when he first met her. And he's become more and more determined to get them both out of there.  
  
So in that way, Mary's absence has been a blessing. On the other hand, it scares him to think what she might be doing or planning to do while she's been gone. He's afraid she might be planning on another kidnapping. The last time they spoke, after a weeks worth of failed seduction attempts on her part, she was convinced that they needed another baby. He hopes she hasn't been trying to get another one.  
  
Over the years, Mulder has run across all kinds of lunatics. But Mary is about as crazy as they come. Sadly, he's sure this isn't the first time she's done something like this. He just hopes he doesn't share the fate of whoever else she's got buried in that back yard. Because then, there won't be anyone to stop her from doing it again.  
  
Skye gurgles happily as she plays with her bare feet. Even the little girl seems to be able to sense Mary's absence. She's such a happy little girl whenever the woman isn't around. She's about as attached to Mulder as Mulder is to her.  
  
"What have you got, Skye? You trying to eat your toes?" he asks, crawling onto the bed next to the baby. He tickles her stomach and smiles when she lets out her little baby giggle.  
  
"I can't wait to get you home. You're going to have a great life," he promises solemnly. "Nothing but love and laughter and happiness. And maybe a pony when you're old enough."  
  
He's rewarded with another giggle from the girl and he can't help but join in her happiness. The only thing better would be if he could share the moment with Scully. He's never even considered what would happen if she doesn't want the little girl in her life. He knows she will. If only they get the chance.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
The tears keep on flowing and Mary is powerless to stop them. She tried so hard to please him. But he rebuffed her every advance. She tried for almost a week before finally giving up. He didn't want anything to do with her. He never wanted anything to do with her. He was just like the others. That baby became the center of his world and Mary became nothing.  
  
For two weeks, Mary has been coming to grips with what she must do. She really loved Fox and letting him go will be hard for her. But she knows she must. She has to have a clean break so that she can move on and start a new family. This is the only way she knows how to bury the past . . . literally.  
  
She gasps for breath, struggling in the heat to dig the graves. The small one didn't take very long. But the one for Fox is zapping her physical and emotional strength. It's never been this hard before. Probably because she's never loved anyone like she loved Fox.  
  
With a sigh, she starts digging again. There's a lot of work still left to do.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
A month since he's been gone and still no word on Mulder. Scully heaves a heavy sigh, knowing that this is all her fault. If she had only thought to find him sooner. If only she hadn't waited a whole week to start looking. If only she had gone with him.  
  
The truth is, she went on that retreat with her mother for less than spiritual reasons. She was running from her feelings for Mulder. Before he went missing, she had gotten to her breaking point. She knew that if she had seen him, she would have jumped on him and given him the kiss of a lifetime. Going away for the weekend was the only way she could see to prevent major embarrassment on her part.  
  
She wishes now she had followed her heart instead of her mind.  
  
"Agent Scully, you're exhausted. You've been at this for weeks. I know you're not getting a lot of rest," Byers notes sympathetically.  
  
Mulder seems to have disappeared into thin air. She can't make heads or tails of the evidence gathered by herself and the gunmen. Even the official investigation seems to be at a standstill. For all intents and purposes, Mulder just went away one day and never returned.  
  
The evidence just doesn't seem to make any sense to her. She's studied all the clues they managed to dig up and knows something there. She just can't see it. It's like a puzzle she can't figure out. The gunmen are still helping her, but are losing hope too. When she looks at them, all she sees are their return gazes of pity. They mean well, trying to get her to rest, but she can't stop looking for Mulder.  
  
"I'll sleep when I find Mulder," she grumbles, trying to hide a yawn behind her hand.  
  
"Scully," Frohike tries, but decides not to fuss at her when she gives him a spine chilling look. "Well, at least let me get you some coffee."  
  
She sighs, knowing the best thing would be to give in and let them do this one thing for her.  
  
"Thanks, Frohike. Coffee would be . . . "  
  
The guys all look to her when she stops talking in the middle of her sentence, wondering if she's finally shut down after all this time. Instead, they see her flipping madly through the files they've managed to accumulate over the past month on Mulder's disappearance.  
  
"Where's that report on the car?" she screams almost frantically, them mention of coffee making a strange connection in her brain.  
  
"It's right here," Byers says calmly, giving her the correct folder before she completely loses it.  
  
"I can't believe I never thought of it before," she mutters. "It's been here all this time."  
  
The gunmen look at each other, surprised at this behavior in her. It's a Mulder kind of thing to do, leaping to an unlikely conclusion that's usually the key in solving the mystery.  
  
"The coffee," she says out loud, noticing their confused looks. "She put something into Mulder's coffee, probably a tranquilizer or something. Now look at this."  
  
She points to the list of what was found in a stain in Mulder's car and her smile grows.  
  
"This was taken from a stained area on the seat in the car. We just assumed it was coffee, or soda or any variety of things. But those compounds combine to form a rare, but powerful drug used for therapy in mental patients. I can't believe I didn't notice it before," she says, shaking her head in disbelief.  
  
"Well, if the drug is so rare, there can't be that many doctors in that rural area of Virginia that have prescribed it recently. We can trace the drug to a doctor and then show him the picture of our mystery lady. Maybe we can get an address."  
  
"Just what I was thinking, Langly," she smiles. "We find this doctor, we find Mulder."  
  
She's practically giddy at the thought of their new avenue of search. She's definitely too excited to sit still. She starts pacing around the small room while Langly starts the computer search.  
  
"Got him," Langly announces after only a few minutes. "Dr. Gregory Stevens. He works at a mental institution in Richmond, Virginia, but also has a smaller clinic outside of Laney."  
  
"Not far from that gas station," she nods. "Get his address and I'll go talk to him."  
  
"No need," Langly smiles. "His records are computerized, but the security sucks. I was able to hack in with no trouble at all."  
  
"And it looks like we're in luck," Frohike adds. "The patient records include photos."  
  
"Well, there shouldn't be that many patients he prescribed that drug to," Scully says. "That should narrow down our search a good deal."  
  
By the time she finishes the thought, they've found a picture that matches. She must admit, the gunmen are awfully good at what they do. She's never given them enough credit in the past. All that will change in the future. But not now. Now, she has to go find Mulder. Copying the address from the file, she gathers her things to go.  
  
"Scully," Byers calls to her. "We don't think you should do this alone."  
  
"I know," she sighs. "I don't think that'll be a good idea. I'll call Skinner. He'll know what to do."  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Mulder could tell by the look in her eyes that Mary was up to something. She burst into the room earlier and grabbed the napping baby from her crib, not even bothering with any niceties. She was out the door before Mulder could lodge a protest.  
  
Panic starts to fill his heart. He begins to pray like he's never prayed before that nothing happens to Skye. It would kill him to know he let something to happen to her while he stood helplessly by.  
  
"Mary," he calls after the woman after he hears the baby start to cry. "Don't hurt her, Mary. Please. She's just a baby."  
  
An eerie silence falls over the house where Mulder doesn't even hear the sound of his own breathing. The baby has stopped crying, but Mulder has no idea whether she's just being quiet or if something terrible has happened. He gets a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that if something bad hasn't happened yet, it's about to happen now.  
  
He yanks on his chain with purpose now, trying desperately to pull it from the wall or break a weak link. He has to get out of the house now or he may not get another chance. He grabs a chair, trying to use it to break through the chain, but to no avail. He's locked tight.  
  
He lets out a frustrated groan, looking around the room for anything he can use as a weapon. He knows his time has run out when he hears footsteps coming down the hall towards the room. All he can do is get into a protective position, guarding himself from any attack she may make.  
  
"Your turn, my love," she says in a dull voice. As she starts walking towards him, Mulder hears a sound he never heard from her before - the tinkling of keys. Maybe he'll be able to get the keys from her and unlock himself before she can do any damage. He focuses on finding a weak spot on her, waiting for her to get close enough before he attacks her. But she has a surprise for him. She stops just outside his reach and pulls out a needle.  
  
"So you won't feel any pain, my sweet Fox," she explains as she catches his questioning glare. "The others weren't so lucky. Only you and my beautiful Skye Blue deserve this honor."  
  
He notices with much terror that there's dirt underneath all her fingernails and smudges of it on her cheek. She must plan on burying him and the baby with the other body he knows she has back there. Now she's mentioning 'others'. How many others has she done this to? He can't worry about them, though. He has to find out about the baby.  
  
"Where's the baby, Mary?" Mulder asks, his heart dropping to the pit of his stomach. "What have you done to her?"  
  
"She's waiting for you to join her for her nap. Except this is a nap that neither of you will be waking from."  
  
She steps closer to inject him with the contents of the needle and he dodges her as best he can. He knows that if she catches him, he's as good as dead. He can't let that happen. He's made a promise to Skye to get her out of there and he intends on keeping it.  
  
Mary lunges at him again with the needle, intent on ending the game. He manages to catch her hand before it gets to her, knocking the needle away. They both fall to the floor and scramble for it, but he gets to it quicker. He rolls over in time to see her climb on top of him, her knees pinning his forearms to the floor. She tries to get the needle, but he holds tight, refusing to let her get it. Not giving up on her own plans to kill him, she wraps her hands around his neck and squeezes hard. He can only let out a strangled cry before the world starts to go black.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Scully and Skinner pull up to the house listed in the doctor's files as belonging to one Mary Simpson. This woman's picture was the nearest match to the woman at the gas station with Mulder. According to her doctor, Mary's a pathological liar, telling fantastic tales about her many marriages and children. Medical tests done on the woman can prove that she's never given birth and there have been no records of her ever getting married. So what would she want with Mulder, Scully thinks to herself.  
  
"You think this is it?" Skinner asks her, breaking into her thoughts. "It seems quiet. Remote, even."  
  
"The perfect place to hold a hostage," Scully mutters, already trying to come up with a plan for going in. She has a feeling this is the right place.  
  
That feeling is proven correct when they hear a blood curdling yell coming from the house.  
  
"Mulder," Scully screams, grabbing her gun and running towards the house without even a glance back to make sure Skinner was following.  
  
She runs up to the door and kicks it in, breaking the lock with the first try. She dashes from room to room, almost panicking when each one proves to be empty. She finally stumbles into a bedroom at the end of the hall, gasping at the sight of a woman on top of an unconscious Mulder. Her first instinct is to shoot, but she has to go by the book on this.  
  
"Are you Mary Simpson?" she calls to the woman, catching her startled glare when she looks up. She truly didn't hear them enter the house.  
  
"I'm with the FBI. I'm going to need you to stand up slowly and put your hands behind your head," Scully instructs her. She hears Skinner come up behind her and knows he has his gun on the woman. She takes out her cuffs and is about to restrain Mary when she does the last thing anyone expects.  
  
Scully's eyes pop wide open when the woman jams a needle straight into her own neck, plunging it in before Scully can stop her. Scully watches in shock as Mary's dead body drifts to the floor, the needle still in her vein.  
  
"Scully, he isn't breathing."  
  
Skinner's voice reaches through her fog, his panic evident. She looks down at Mulder's body and jumps into action, starting CPR on him. On the edge of her focus, she can hear Skinner calling for backup and an ambulance, but she doesn't pay much attention. All her energy is focused on making Mulder breathe again.  
  
"Wake up," she begs while pumping his chest. She gives him another puff of air before doing the chest compressions again. "You're not going to die on me."  
  
Tears are streaming down her face, but she tirelessly tries to resuscitate him until she's rewarded with a response from him. He starts coughing, gagging at the sudden flow of air back through his lungs.  
  
Her tears of fear turn to those of joy as she cradles him in her arms, grateful that he's alive.  
  
"Where is she?" he gasps, still trying to catch his breath.  
  
"Mary's dead, Mulder. She shot herself with a needle I can only assume was meant for you."  
  
"Dead? But where's Skye?" She tries to hold him down, but he struggles even harder to get on his feet. "I have to find her."  
  
"Mulder? What's going on? Who's Skye?"  
  
But he ignores her, already trying to leave, but finding himself still chained. He turns back and goes through Mary's pockets until he comes up with a set of keys. He unlocks himself and goes running through the house.  
  
"Skye? Skye, Sweetie, where are you? Can you hear me?"  
  
"Mulder, just stop a minute," Scully says when she finally catches up with him. "There's no one else in the house. We searched already."  
  
She watches him blanche at that, afraid that he's about to pass out.  
  
"No," he groans, pushing past her again to run out the back door of the house. He dashes all over the back yard, looking for something. Scully doesn't know what, but she knows it's important to him so she starts to look too.  
  
By this time, the ambulances have arrived and Skinner is prepared to let them take Mulder by force to the hospital. It's obvious he needs some medical, and probably psychological, help.  
  
"Skye," he yells again, and with a sickening feeling, Scully realizes what he's looking for when she sees a newly dug grave under a tree.  
  
"Mulder." She calls him and points it out to him, surprised at the speed with which he gets across the yard. He starts digging frantically with his bare hands. She finds a shovel leaning against the tree and helps him, stopping abruptly when she hits a box. She's horrified at how small the little tomb is.  
  
With shaking hands, he tears the lid off the box, lifting out a tiny body.  
  
"Help her," he barely whispers, but she hears him anyway.  
  
She pushes aside her horror and swallows the bile threatening to rise. She's pleasantly surprised to find a pulse. It's weak and shallow, but the baby is still alive.  
  
"I need a medic," she yells over her shoulder before turning to Mulder. "She's alive. Just barely, but she's still alive. She may be okay if we get her to the hospital quickly."  
  
He lets out a relieved breath, collapsing in a trembling heap at her feet. She bends down next to him, taking him again into her arms. She has no idea what Mulder has been through this past month, but she can see the effect it's having on him. Physically, he's going to be fine. But she can't even take a guess at his emotional state. All she can do is be there for him. When it's all said and done, there's no other place she'd rather be.  
  
Epilogue  
  
Mulder only allows the briefest of check ups once he reaches the hospital, so intent on finding Skye. He makes it to her room and is stopped cold at the tiny body lying in the middle of all the wires and tubes.  
  
"I thought you said she'd be okay, Scully," he gasps, tears forming at the sight of the baby.  
  
"She will be, Mulder. All of that is just for precaution since she's so little and they don't know how long she went without oxygen or the effects the drug Mary gave her will have on her system. But they're optimistic for a full recovery." She gives him an encouraging smile and takes her hand in his own.  
  
"She's just so little, Scully," he sighs. "I can't help but worry."  
  
"You love her, don't you?"  
  
"With all my heart. I didn't think I was the type to go all goo goo over a baby, but here I am," he smiles. He looks back at the baby and his thoughts turn serious. He wouldn't want Scully to think he was joking about what he's about to say. "I want to keep her."  
  
Her mouth falls open in shock, not knowing how to respond to him.  
  
"Keep her? Like adopt her and raise her?"  
  
"If they let me," he nods. "I promised her that once we got out of there, I'd give her the best life possible. I'm not going back on my word."  
  
So many thoughts are running through her head, but the most prevalent is what does this mean for her? What does it mean for their partnership and the x-files? She doesn't want to be selfish. She would have made the same sacrifices without any thought if she had been allowed to adopt Emily. But she can't help but feel like Mulder is trying to move on . . . without her.  
  
"One more thing, Scully," he says, biting on his lip nervously. "I want you to be there with us. I want you to get to know and love Skye the way I do. I want you to be her mommy, and for me to be her daddy. Visions of you holding her is what got me through that whole thing with Mary. Please help me make that a reality."  
  
"Mulder," she gasps, tears escaping her eyes. "What are you saying? Are you . . . proposing to me?"  
  
"Would you say yes if I were?" he asks, half joking, but very serious. "I had a lot of time to think, Scully. Mary was so lonely that she had to kidnap men and make them her 'husbands'. I don't want to ever be that lonely. And if I continue to hide what I feel for you, I'm afraid that one day I will be."  
  
"What do you feel for me?" she whispers, wiping her wet cheeks with the back of her hand.  
  
"I love you, Scully," he smiles, relieved to finally say it. "I've loved you for a long time."  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
"Really?" He gives her a big grin this time, scooping her up in his arms and hugging her tightly. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"  
  
"Probably for the same reason you never told me."  
  
They both laugh at how foolish they've been, hiding their feelings from each other. The past month has shown them both how precious time is and neither wants to waste any more of it.  
  
Mulder bends down, gently pressing his lips to Scully's. He came so close to never being able to do this, that it scares him.  
  
"I don't know what I would have done if I'd never found you," she says, echoing his thoughts.  
  
"Let's not dwell on it," he smiles, kissing her again. "We're together now. And as long as we don't let go of each other, that's how we're going to stay."  
  
"Don't worry about that. I'm not letting you out of my sight ever again, Fox Mulder. We're going to be together forever. Until death do us part," she adds in a whisper.  
  
"That sounds suspiciously like a yes to my proposal."  
  
"Whatever it takes, G-Man," she smiles, giggling when he lifts her up and spins her around. Instead of putting her back on the ground, he goes to sit next to the baby's crib, setting Scully in his lap.  
  
"You hear that, Skye? She's going to marry me and make us a family. I told you she was great."  
  
"She really is beautiful, Mulder. I can't wait to be her mommy," she smiles, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in for a kiss. It's the first chance she's ever had to kiss him the way she's always wanted to. She takes his breath away with her passion.  
  
"I just have one question," she says, finally letting him up for air.  
  
"Shoot," he pants, thinking of not much more than how sexy her swollen lips look.  
  
"How in the world did she get the name Skye Blue?"  
  
"Oh, that's a long story, Scully," he laughs. "A really long story. Maybe I'll tell you one day. But for right now, all I want to do is kiss you."  
  
And that's exactly what he does.  
  
The end. 


End file.
